Set-top-box having a built-in master node that provides an external interface for communication and control in a power-line-based residential communication system

ABSTRACT

A set-top-box (STB) provides capability for monitoring and control of power usage and the ability to establish communications. A smart residential service system (SRSS) is provided that uses power line communication (PLC) technology to provide secure in-home LAN communication and also to monitor and provide remote control of connected appliances in the home. An embodiment combines the STB with a master unit (MST) that is used with PLC to meet the requirements of the central device in the SRSS.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a Continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.13/181,293, filed 12 Jul. 2011, which is a Continuation-in-Part of U.S.application Ser. No. 13/153,194, filed 3 Jun. 2011, which was issued asU.S. Pat. No. 8,364,326 on 29 Jan. 2013, which is a Continuation-in-Partof U.S. application Ser. No. 13/032,454, filed 22 Feb. 2011, which wasissued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,755,946 on 17 Jun. 2014, each of which isincorporated herein in its entirety by this reference thereto.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Technical Field

The invention relates to devices that are used for power monitoring,data collection, and control and communication over power lines toreduce the carbon footprint of in-home equipment. More particularly, theinvention relates to centralized control of intelligent homes, in whichmultiple entertainment, communication, media streaming, and otherappliances are connected to remote power monitoring and control capabledevices for power usage monitoring and control over power linenetworking.

Description of the Background Art

Communication using power lines has been known from early in the 20^(th)century. Due to the higher cost and other limitations for extending theconnectivity, the use of this type of power line communication (PLC)system has been limited to local area networks (LANs) within homes oroffices or, at best, within apartment complexes. PLC has also found alimited number of applications where other types of communicationmethods do not provide the security and remote connectivity, such as forpower line control applications. Basic devices for connecting to thepower line for communication and power supply have been designed andused to provide service within LANs.

Due to more efficient competing technologies, the infrastructure forpower line communication never developed to make it a mainstreamtechnology. Thus, despite this early start, PLC technology has notbecome a mainstream communication technology and the adaptation of thistechnology has been slow. This can be attributed to various reasons,including the higher cost of available devices, the lack of suitabledevices for communication using PLC technology, etc. The result has beenthat PLC has not found a path for growth in the standard voice and datacommunication field, which is presently catered to by technologies suchas xDSL, cell phones, and satellite communications.

The development of ‘green’ technologies and the need for monitoring andcontrol of the carbon footprint of homes and offices has created a needto assess power usage patterns remotely, determine the magnitude of suchusage, and provide the ability to supervise and control such power usageremotely. In such case, it is necessary for the consumer to monitor andcontrol the power use on a micro level. If the proper tools wereprovided, the consumer could be able to exercise the necessaryconstraints on such power usage.

It is also necessary to monitor the usage pattern and collect data on amacro level to develop policies that are beneficial to the overallreduction in the carbon footprint at the home and office level, as wellas on a national level. Empowering the individual and the society toexercise the necessary controls by monitoring the power usage is an areawhere the power line communication and control can be effectively andoptimally used.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A set-top-box (STB) provides capability for monitoring and control ofpower usage and the ability to establish communications. A smartresidential service system (SRSS) is provided that uses power linecommunication (PLC) technology to provide secure in-home LANcommunication and also to monitor and provide remote control ofconnected appliances in the home. An embodiment combines the STB with amaster unit (MST) that is used with PLC to meet the requirements of thecentral device in the SRSS.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block schematic diagram of a typical STB;

FIG. 2 is a block schematic diagram of a PLC network connection thatprovides communication capability with monitoring and remote control ofconnected appliances according to the invention;

FIG. 3 is a block schematic diagram of a master power switch accordingto the invention;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing master power switch unit (MST) operationaccording to the invention;

FIG. 5 is a block schematic diagram of an MST integrated with an STB toprovide connectivity over a PLC network for communication and for powermonitoring and control of connected appliances according to theinvention;

FIG. 6 is a block schematic diagram showing the various modules that areintegrated to enable PLC networking and monitoring and control ofconnected appliances according to the invention;

FIG. 7 is a block schematic diagram of a PLC network connection toprovide communication streaming media capability with monitoring andcontrol of connected appliances according to the invention; and

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing operation of an integrated STB in a PLCnetwork according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Increasingly, consumers are moving to ‘intelligent’ homes in whichmultiple entertainment systems and communications facilities areinterconnected via local area networks (LANs). The push for ‘green’homes ostensibly mandates monitoring and remote control of power usageby home appliances. As new applications and services that link thesedifferent devices are developed, the need for a central device thatcontrols that information flow has emerged.

Cable-to-home is becoming a more common communication gateway to homesbecause the download speeds are very high and upload speeds arecomparable to that of other technologies, such as xDSL and wireless.Cable inputs to the home are typically terminated in a cable modem thatincludes a cable communication modem and a video input module whichconnect to the in-home local area network (LAN). In an embodiment, aset-top-box (STB) provides capability for monitoring and control ofpower usage and the ability to establish communications. A smartresidential service system (SRSS) is provided that uses power linecommunication (PLC) technology to provide secure in-home LANcommunication and also to monitor and provide remote control ofconnected appliances in the home. An embodiment combines the STB with amaster unit (MST) that is used with PLC to meet the requirements of thecentral device in the SRSS.

A set-top box (STB) is a device that is a central controller for themultiple entertainment systems in the home. FIG. 1 is a block diagramshowing a typical STB 100. The STB uses a microcontroller (MCU) 102 as adigital media processor. The MCU and the various inputs and outputs andcontrol units are integrated into a system on chip (SOC) 101. The inputsto the STB 100 typically include a cable and antenna input block 104 anda satellite input block 103. The control inputs of the STB use infra-red(IR) or wireless 131. The input/output (I/O) components of the STB 100include the video I/O block 111, the audio I/O block 112, the Ethernetconnector 113, the USB connector 144, and the RS232 connector 115. Thestorage capabilities built into the STB include a built in random accessmemory (RAM) 121, a non-volatile memory (NVM) 122, a high density diskdrive (HDD) 123, and smart card 124. Additionally, the STB has outputsto the TV from HDMI and DVI connectors 132.

With the addition of new entertainment applications and services thatlink different entertainment devices for use in the home, there is needfor central as well as distributed control capability for theseapplications. By providing a built-in cable modem, the STB becomes thegateway to the Internet, and functions to control the information flowinto the home over the cable network. By integrating a master switchunit (MST) into the STB, the capability for establishing a connection toan in-home PLC network is also integrated into the STB. This, in turn,allows the STB to act as a central control unit for in-homeentertainment applications, with distribution and control capabilityover a PLC network for communication, streaming media, TV, and otherentertainment systems in the home. This central control capability isprovided in addition to the local controls available for theentertainment systems and TV systems at the installed location. Further,the functions of power monitoring and remote control of the supply ofpower to appliances by the MST in the STB is enabled by use of the powermonitoring and control units, the power switch unit (SW), and the datacommunication (Ethernet) enabled power switch unit (ETH) to interconnectthe in-home systems and appliances.

FIG. 2 is a block schematic diagram showing a PLC network 200 for powermanagement and communication connectivity using the PLC based units,including an MST 203, SW 201, and ETH 202 according to the invention.The SW 201 units are used where the requirement is for power connectioncapability with monitoring and control, but without the need to connecta communication device into the PLC network 200. The ETH devices providecommunication device connections to the PLC LAN and a power plug orpower source which can be monitored and controlled. Multiple SW 201 andETH 202 units can be used to establish power monitoring and control forthe home and to provide connectivity for data communication on a PLC LANin the PLC network 200. The MST 203 is connects the PLC network 200through a router 204, thus providing the PLC network with broadbandaccess to a wide area network (WAN) 205.

The MST 203 also provides the computing power and storage capabilitynecessary to collect and compile power consumption information. The SW201 units and ETH 202 units monitor the power usage of devices andappliances connected to their respective power plugs. This informationis sent over the local power distribution lines in the home or office tothe MST 203 for compilation of data on usage. With the capability andcomputing power it has available, an embodiment of the MST 203 can exertlocal and emergency control of the appliances connected to the SWs 201and ETH 202 units. As discussed earlier, the MST 203 also acts as agateway by connecting to a broadband communication modem in the router204 to enable a communication pathway to the Internet 205, e.g. via theWAN.

FIG. 3 is a block schematic diagram 300 of an MST 203. In thisembodiment, a 32-bit MCU is implemented as a system on chip (SOC) 307.The SOC 307 provides higher processing power and integration of moduleswith the MCU. The SOC 307 integrates a PHY into the MCU, thus providingthe RJ45 connector 315 that connects modem device directly to a port onthe SOC 307. In this embodiment, this connection is a 10/100 base TX,auto-negotiation Ethernet port. This provides a gateway to the Internetthrough a connected modem for PLC communications from all of the ETH 202units connected thereto via the PLC LAN.

A typical communication module of the MST 203 uses a modulation schemethat is chosen from among various known modulation protocols, includingOFDM, QAM1024/256/64/16, DQPSK, DBPSK, and ROBO, for sending andreceiving communication data streams to the connected ETH 202 unitswithin the PLC LAN. In this embodiment, the frequency band used forbroadband PLC within the LAN is 2 to 30 MHz, with a data transfer rateof up to 200 Mbps.

The gateway provided by the MST 203 is also used to send out thecollected and processed information on the power usage, as well as thestatus of the power monitoring and relay units within the PLC network200. This enables control of the power plug 303. Any remote controlcommands that are received from the Web via the gateway by the MST 203are transferred to connected SW 201 units for control of the power flowto connected appliances. In the case of the embodiment of the MST 203shown in FIG. 3, the modulation, frequency band, and data rates are thesame as those used for the information and command transfer within thePLC network 200.

The SOC 307 is configured to enforce all communication-related securityprotocols associated with the PLC LAN. Further, all data and powermonitoring and control information is sent to the SOC 307 by theconnected SW 201 and ETH 202 units via the power distribution lines 301through the coupler filter module 311 and the communication module 309.The communication module 309 of the MST 203 is used to demodulate theincoming streams and decrypt them, prior to transferring them to theMCU. The SOC 307 receives the information and processes it by compilingand consolidating it for outward transmission to the Web 205 through therouter 204.

The SOC 307 also has a memory 317 associated with it that, in thisembodiment, is connected to a memory port on the SOC 307. The memory 317stores the received power monitoring and control information prior toits processing and compiling by the SOC 307. The memory 317 is also usedto store the compiled information so as to transmit it out through therouter 204 optimally when bandwidth usage for data communication is low.The memory 317 also stores the transaction history with a timestamp forthe data communication, power usage information transmitted out, andincoming remote commands sent to the connected SW 201 and ETH 202 units.The memory 317 provides for tracking of performance and remote debuggingcapability with pinging and path tracking capability for the MST 203, aswell as for the connected SW 201 and ETH 202 units.

The MST 203 provides a power plug 303 of its own that is connected tothe power distribution lines 301 through a power meter and relay 305 andthat is used for connecting an appliance with the power and monitoringand control capability. This monitored information is sent to the MCU,which in this embodiment is implemented as an SOC 307. Such informationis combined with the information received over the PLC network 200 viathe power distribution lines 301 through the coupler filter module 311and the communication module 309. This collected information forms partof the power monitoring information input to the MST 203. The powermonitoring information is stored in the memory 317 and compiled andprocessed for transmission to the monitoring sources in the WAN 205through the modem 204, which is connected to the SOC 307 port with theRJ45 connector 315. The transfer of the compiled information isperformed as a store and forward manner in this embodiment, with storagein the memory 317 to enable best use of the available bandwidth of thegateway.

Remote control commands received via the gateway are received through aduplex port with the RJ45 connector 315 from the connected modem 204.These control commands are interpreted by the SOC 307 of the MST 203 andsent over the broadband PLC network 200 through communication module 309and coupler filter module 311 to the respective SW 201 or ETH 202 unitsto which it is addressed for necessary action at the addressed receivingunits.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart 4000 showing duplex operation of the MST 203 toenable data communication and information transfer to and from therouter, and thence to the AC power distribution lines 301, for transportover the Internet 205.

The MST 203 receives incoming data and information stream over the ACpower distribution lines 301 (S4001). The data stream and informationstream are transmitted over broadband PLC for the MST 203.

The received data and information streams are passed into the MST 203through filter couplers (S4002). The coupler filter module 311 of theMST 203 has a high-pass filter that blocks the power frequency fromentering the communication module 309 of the MST 203 and thus preventsthe power frequency from contributing to noise.

The received communication and information streams are received by thecommunication module 309 (S4003). The MST 203 uses a single broadbandcommunication module 309 to handle both the communication data streamand the information stream.

The communication module 309 demodulates the streams to extract thedata, the information, and the addresses (S4004).

The communication module 309 decrypts the stream (S4005).

The address associated with the data and information streams is checkedby the decrypting communication module 309 to verify the addressee(S4006).

The data and the information with the necessary address is sent to theMCU, which is part of the SOC 307, for logging and checking (S4007).

The MCU checks the permissions and security of the data and information(S4008).

The MCU logs the address of the data and information, with timestamp andother approved details, in the DRAM memory 317 buffer (S4009).

The logged information is consolidated, compiled and stored in a memory317 to establish priority for transmission (S4010).

The data or the prioritized information from the memory 317, with theaddress details, is sent over a PHY for transport over the physicallayer to the RJ45 connector 315 (S4011).

The data or information with the necessary address details is passedthrough to the router 204, connected to the RJ45 connector 315, fortransport over the Internet 205 to the addressee (S4012).

In the reverse direction, when a return data or information stream comesfrom the Internet 205 to the router 204 with the Internet protocol (IP)address of the MST 203, it is converted into data or information at therouter 204 and passed through the RJ45 connector 315 to the physicallink connecting the RJ45 connector 315 to the MCU (S4101).

The data or information comes over the PHY link to the MCU (S4102).

The receiving MCU in the MST 203 checks the address within the data orinformation to determine if it is addressed to an ETH 202 unit or a SW201 connected to the PLC network 200 (S4103).

The receiving MCU also checks for all security and permissions of thereceived data or information that are needed to access the connecteddevices (S4104).

The receiving MCU of the MST 203 logs the incoming data or informationwith timestamp and details in the memory 317 (S4105).

The receiving MCU checks to determine if the received information isaddressed to the MST 203 (S4106).

If the received is information addressed to the MST 203, then thereceiving MCU interprets the commands within the information stream togenerate executable instructions for the power meter and relay module305 of the MST 203 (S4107).

The receiving MCU sends the instructions to the local power meter andrelay module 305 for action (S4108).

The local power meter in the power meter and relay module 305 executesthe executable instructions to control the power flow to the power plug303 through the relay in the power meter and relay module 305 of the MST203 (S4109).

The status of the local power plug 303 is updated in the power meter andrelay module 305 (S4110).

If the received information is not for the MST 203, then the data orinformation, with the address of the SW 201 or ETH 202, is sent to thecommunication module 309 of the MST 203 (S4111).

The appropriate communication module 309 of the MST 203 receives thedata or the information with the address of the SW 201 or ETH 202 towhich the data or information is addressed (S4112).

The communication module 309 encrypts the data or the informationreceived (S4113).

The encrypted data or information is recombined with the address of theSW 201 or ETH 202 (S4114).

The communication module 309 modulates the data or information with theaddress to form a data or information stream (S4115).

The modulated streams are sent through a coupler filter module 311 thatblocks unwanted frequencies being impressed on the AC power distributionlines 301 and also prevents the unwanted frequencies on the AC powerdistribution lines 301 entering the communication module 309 (S4116).

The coupler filter module 311 impresses the modulated data orinformation stream on the AC power distribution lines 301 fortransmission to the connected addressee SW 201 or ETH 202 (S4117).

FIG. 5 is a block schematic diagram of the STB 500 with the necessarymodules 503 to integrate the MST 203 on an SOC 501. All the capabilitiesof the STB 100 are included in the STB 500, in addition to the MST 203.In a presently preferred embodiment, of the STB 500, some of the modulesof the MST 203 are integrated into the SOC 501. The available commonresources of the STB 500, such as MCU 502 and memory 121, are used inthis embodiment of the integrated STB 500.

FIG. 6 is a block schematic diagram 600 of the MST 203 implemented aspart of the SOC 501 for a cable input connection. The video input 104 tothe SOC 501 is provided through a tuner module 104 that includes an RFfeed, a tuner, and the video amplifier. The communication andinformation input/output are provided through the integrated cablecommunication modem 105. The MCU 502 on the SOC 501 is used to performall the necessary data and information processing needed. The memory 121is used for any interim storage needs, as well as for storing andforwarding of the information. All communication and information betweenthe MCU 502 and the PLC network 200 to associated SW 201 and ETH 202units is via the power distribution lines 301. The data and controlcommands received through the cable communications modem 105 arereceived by the SOC 502 of the STB 500. If the data and controlinformation is meant for the connected SW 201 and ETH 202 units, thenthis information is sent to the power distribution lines 301 by the MCU502 in the SOC 501 via the broadband communication module 309 and thefilter coupler 311. Similarly the data and information from the PLCnetwork 200 is received by the MCU 502 on the SOC 501 through the filtercoupler 311 and the communication module 309. The operation of thefilter coupler and the communication module are as described earlierwith respect to FIG. 3.

The integration of the MST modules 503 on the SOC 501 also provides apower plug 303 on the STB 500 that allows monitoring and control of thepower to any appliance connected to it. The power monitoring and relaymodule 305 connected to the power plug controls and monitors the powerflow through the power plug 303 based on instructions received from theMCU 502.

FIG. 7 is a block schematic diagram of the STB 500 with a connected SW201 and ETH 202 forming a PLC LAN for communication, streaming mediadelivery, and a PLC network for monitoring and remote control of powerflow to connected appliances. The integrated STB 500 has the video tunerand amplifier 104 and the cable communications modem 105. The videotuner and amplifier module 104 is used to receive cable TV inputs. Thecable communications modem 105 is used to receive and transmitcommunication data streams, transmit collected information and status ofthe power connection and usage of connected appliances to the Web, andreceive remote commands to change the status of connections. In thissetup, the STB 500 also controls the operation of the video and audiosystems, as well as IP TV systems connected via the PLC network,directly or allow for local control at the connection point.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing operation of the integrated modules 503 ofthe MST in the SOC 501.

The STB 500 receives an incoming data and information stream over the ACpower distribution lines 301 (S8001). The data stream and informationstream are received over broadband PLC network.

The received data and information streams are passed into the STB 500through filter couplers 311 (S8002). The filter coupler module 311 is inthe MST modules block 503 of the SOC 501. The filter coupler module 311has a high-pass filter that blocks the power frequency from entering thecommunication module 309 of the STB 500 and thus prevents the powerfrequency from contributing to noise.

The received communication and information streams are sent and receivedby the communication module 309 of the MST module block 503 integratedon the STB 500 (S8003). The STB 500 uses the same broadbandcommunication module 309 to handle both the communication data streamand the information stream.

The communication module 309 demodulates the streams to extract the dataor the information and the addresses (S8004).

The communication module 309 decrypts the stream (S8005).

The addresses, associated with the data streams are checked by thedecrypting communication module 309 to verify the addressee (S8006.)

The data and the information with the necessary address are sent to theMCU 502, which is part of the SOC 501 for logging and checking (S8007).

The MCU 502 checks the permissions and security of the data andinformation (S8008).

The MCU 502 logs the address of the data and information, with timestampand other approved details, in the memory 121 buffer (S8009).

The logged information is consolidated, compiled, and stored in a memory121 to establish priority for transmission (S8010).

The data or the prioritized information, with the address details, issent from the memory 121 to the cable modem 105 (S8011).

The data or information, with the necessary address details, is passedthrough to the cable communications modem 105 connected to cable inputfor transport over the cable to the internet 205 to the addressee(S8012).

In the reverse direction, when a return data or information stream comesfrom the Internet 205 through the cable to the cable communicationsmodem 105 via the cable input, with the IP address of the STB 500, it isconverted into data or information at the cable communications module105 and passed through the cable input to the MCU 502 (S8101).

The data or information is sent to the MCU 502 (S8102). Additionalinformation to control the video and audio systems connected on the PLCnetwork 700 is also generated by the SOC 501 and provided to the MCU502.

The receiving MCU 502 in the SOC 501 checks the address within the dataor information to determine if it is addressed to an ETH 202 unit or aSW 201 connected to the PLC network 700 (S8103).

The receiving MCU 502 also checks for all security and permissions ofthe received data or information that are needed to access the connecteddevices (S8104).

The receiving MCU 502 of the STB 500 logs the incoming data orinformation with timestamp and details in the memory 121 (S8105).

The receiving MCU 502 checks to determine if the received information isaddressed to the STB 500 (S8106).

If the received is information addressed to the STB 500, then thereceiving MCU 502 interprets the commands within the information streamto generate executable instructions for the power meter and relay module305 of the STB 500 (S8107).

The receiving MCU 502 sends the instructions to the local power meterand relay module 305 for action (S8108).

The local power meter in the power meter and relay module 305 executesthe executable instructions to control the power flow to the power plug303 through the relay in the power meter and relay module 305 of the STB500 (S8109).

The status of the local power plug 303 is updated in the power meter andrelay module 305 (S8110).

If the received information is not for the STB 500, then the data orinformation, with the address of the SW 201 or ETH 202, is sent to thecommunication module 309 of the STB 500 (S8111).

The appropriate communication module 309 of the STB 500 receives thedata or information and the address of the SW 201 or ETH 202 to whichthe data or information is addressed (S8112).

The communication module 309 encrypts the data or the informationreceived (S8113).

The encrypted data or information is recombined with the address of theSW 201 or ETH 202 (S8114).

The communication module 309 modulates the data or information with theaddress to form a data or information stream (S8115).

The modulated streams are sent through a coupler filter module 311 thatblocks unwanted frequencies being impressed on the AC power distributionlines 301 and that also prevents the unwanted frequencies on the ACpower distribution lines 301 entering the communication module 309(S8116).

The coupler filter module 311 impresses the modulated data orinformation stream on the AC power distribution lines 301 fortransmission to the connected addressee SW 201 or ETH 202 (S8117).

The ETH 202 devices enable connection of communication devices to thePLC LAN, while providing a power plug 303 which can be monitored andcontrolled.

Multiple SW 201 and ETH 202 units can establish the power monitoring andcontrol for the home via the PLC network 200 and provide connectivityfor data communication via the PLC LAN level.

The use of a single STB 500 for the home PLC network 200 establishes aWAN gateway that enables the PLC LAN to communicate with the outsideworld in accordance with predetermined security and connection rules.The STB 500 is also used as a collection and compilation point for thepower monitoring function where the power usage within the home withconnected SW 201 and ETH 202 units is received and compiled. Becausethere is connectivity with control capability on each SW and ETH unit,the power delivery through each of these SW and ETH units can bemonitored and controlled from any of the communication devices connectedto the PLC LAN. Further, this collected information on any of the powerplugs can be accessed from the WAN using connected communication devicesto monitor the status and provide remote control commands through theWAN gateway. This capability is controlled by the permissions,authorizations, and security rules established for connection into thePLC LAN through the STB 500.

Because communication connections to the outside world and within thePLC network 700 are all broadband enabled, the system is able to providesteaming media capability within the PLC network 700. It can access andenable streaming media delivery to display devices connected using ETHunits through the WAN gateway. The STB 500 is also enabled to exertcontrol over the connected audio and video systems and other connectedentertainment units connected to the PLC network 700.

To facilitate macro level collection and compilation of power usageinformation, the collected power monitoring and usage information istransmitted over the WAN gateway to one or more central power usagecollection units. These units collect the data for analysis and toprovide input to the public bodies for making policy decisions ongreenhouse gas reduction requirements.

Although the invention is described herein with reference to thepreferred embodiment, one skilled in the art will readily appreciatethat other applications may be substituted for those set forth hereinwithout departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.For example, the units may be implemented as an assembly of individualcomponents, as a combination of components and integrated circuits, oras one or more SOCs. The invention should not be considered as beinglimited in scope based on specific block level details, but should beconsidered on the basis of current and future envisioned functionality.Accordingly, the invention should only be limited by the Claims includedbelow.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A system configured to receive controlsignals and streaming of audio, video, or graphic information over awide area network (WAN), wherein the system comprises: a digital mediaprocessor (MCU); a communication module; a communication link betweenthe MCU and to the WAN; and a master switch (MST); wherein the MST isconfigured for connection to the WAN through the communication link,wherein the MST is communicatively connected to a power linecommunication (PLC) local area network (LAN) established on a powerline; wherein the MST is connected to at least one sensor over the PLCLAN; wherein the at least one sensor is connected to the power line andto a corresponding appliance, wherein the corresponding appliance ispowered by power from the power line under control of the at least onesensor; wherein the at least one sensor is configured to: collect powerusage information of the corresponding appliance, transmit the collectedpower usage information to the MST over the PLC LAN, receive controlcommands over the PLC network from the MST; and switch power on and offto the corresponding appliance in response to the received controlcommands; wherein the MST is configured to receive the collected powerusage information over the PLC LAN from the at least one sensor; whereinthe MST is configured to connect the system with the PLC LAN fortransferring data, control, and streaming video through thecommunication link; wherein the communication module is configured tomodulate the data, control and streaming video for transfer over the PLCLAN to the corresponding appliance connected through the at least onesensor within the PLC LAN; wherein the communication module is furtherconfigured to receive responses and communication inputs sent asmodulated signals from the corresponding appliance connected to the PLCLAN through the at least one sensor, and demodulate the received inputsto transfer the received inputs to the WAN; and wherein the MST isconfigured to receive control signals through the WAN, transmit thecontrol signals to the at least one sensor through the PLC LAN, receivecontrol responses over the PLC LAN from the at least one sensor,consolidate the collected power usage information, and transfer any ofthe control responses or the consolidated power usage information to theWAN over the communication link.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein thecommunication link includes any of a cable modem or a videotuner/amplifier.
 3. The system of claim 1, further comprising: a couplerfilter, wherein the coupler filter is configured for any of: preventingunwanted frequencies from being impressed on the communication modulefrom the PLC LAN; and preventing unwanted high frequency noise frombeing impressed on the PLC LAN from the communication module.
 4. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the MCU is configured to monitor and controlpower usage of the corresponding appliance.
 5. The system of claim 1,further comprising: a power plug connected to the PLC LAN; wherein theMCU is configured to monitor and control the power plug via the PLC LAN.6. The system of claim 1, wherein the MCU is configured to communicatevia the PLC LAN with the corresponding appliance for any of powermonitoring and control of the corresponding appliance and to provideconnectivity for data communication with the corresponding appliance viathe PLC LAN.
 7. The system of claim 1, wherein the MCU is configured tooperate the system as a gateway in accordance with predeterminedsecurity and connection rules.
 8. The system of claim 1, wherein the MCUis configured to operate the system as a collection and compilationpoint for a power monitoring function in which power usage by thecorresponding appliance is received and compiled by the MCU.
 9. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the MCU is configured to monitor and controlpower delivery through the corresponding appliance in response tocontrol information from another appliance connected to the PLC.
 10. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the MCU is configured for any of sendingcontrol signals to, to and collecting information from the correspondingappliance in response to remotely originated control informationreceived via the WAN.
 11. The system of claim 1, wherein the MCU isconfigured for macro level collection and compilation of power usageinformation with regard to the corresponding appliance; and wherein theMCU is configured to transmit the collected power monitoring and usageinformation over the WAN to one or more remotely located, central powerusage collection units.
 12. The system of claim 1, wherein the MST isconnected to an associated appliance, wherein the associated applianceis powered by power from the power line under control of the MST, andwherein the MST is configured to collect power usage information for theassociated appliance.
 13. The system of claim 1, wherein the at leastone sensor is any of a power switch (SW), or a communication enabledpower switch (ETH).
 14. The system of claim 4, wherein the MCU isconfigured to collect and to compile information related to the powerusage and control and to exchange the information between the WAN and anInternet.
 15. The system of claim 4, wherein the MCU is configured tooperate the system as a gateway between the WAN and the PLC.
 16. Thesystem of claim 4, wherein the MCU is configured to control operation ofentertainment devices connected to the PLC LAN.
 17. The system of claim12, wherein the MST is enabled to consolidate the stored power usageinformation received from the at least one sensor with the power usageinformation for the associated appliance.
 18. A method, comprising:receiving by a system control signals and streaming of audio, video, orgraphic information from a wide area network (WAN), wherein the systemincludes a digital media processor (MCU), a communication module, acommunication link the MCU and to the WAN, and a master switch (MST);wherein the MST is connected to the WAN through the communication link,wherein the MST is communicatively connected to a power linecommunication (PLC) local area network (LAN) established on a powerline; wherein the MST is connected to at least one sensor over the PLCLAN; wherein the at least one sensor is connected to the power line andto a corresponding appliance, wherein the corresponding appliance ispowered by power from the power line under control of the at least onesensor; wherein the at least one sensor is configured to: collect powerusage information of the corresponding appliance, transmit the collectedpower usage information to the MST over the PLC LAN, receive controlcommands over the PLC LAN from the MST; and switch power on and off tothe corresponding appliance in response to the received controlcommands; wherein the MST stores the collected power usage informationreceived from the at least one sensor; wherein the MST connects thesystem with the PLC LAN for transferring data, control, and streamingvideo through the communication module; modulating the data, control andstreaming video with the communication module for transfer over the PLCLAN to the corresponding appliance connected through the at least onesensor within the PLC LAN; with the communication module, receivinginputs that are sent as modulated signals from the correspondingappliance connected to the PLC LAN through the at least one sensor;demodulating the received inputs, and transferring the received inputsto the WAN; with the MST, receiving control signals through the WAN,transmitting the control signals to the at least one sensor through thePLC LAN, receiving control responses over the PLC LAN from the at leastone sensor, consolidating the collected power usage information, andtransferring any of the control responses or the consolidated powerusage information to the WAN over the communication link.
 19. The methodof claim 18, wherein the communication link includes any of a cablemodem or a video tuner/amplifier.
 20. The method of claim 18, whereinthe system includes a coupler filter, and wherein the method furthercomprises any of: with the coupler filter, preventing unwantedfrequencies from being impressed on the communication module from thePLC LAN; or with the coupler filter, preventing unwanted high frequencynoise from being impressed on the PLC LAN from the communication module.21. A non-transitory storage medium containing program instructionswhich, when executed by a processor, implement the method of claim 18.22. The method of claim 18, wherein the MCU monitors and controls powerusage of the corresponding appliance.
 23. The method of claim 18,wherein the MCU collects and compiles information related to the powerusage and control and to exchange the information between the WAN and anInternet.
 24. The method of claim 18, wherein the MCU operates thesystem as a gateway between the WAN and the PLC LAN.
 25. The method ofclaim 18, wherein the MCU controls operation of entertainment devicesconnected to the PLC LAN.
 26. The method of claim 18, wherein the MST isconnected to an associated appliance, wherein the associated applianceis powered by power from the power line under control of the MST, andwherein the MST is configured to collect power usage information for theassociated appliance.
 27. The method of claim 18, wherein the at leastone sensor is any of a power switch (SW), or a communication enabledpower switch (ETH).
 28. The method of claim 26, wherein the MST isenabled to consolidate the stored power usage information received fromthe at least one sensor with the power usage information for theassociated appliance.